This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of Poland were reviewed by the Committee on 8 February 2018. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 28 February 2018.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Nicola Brandt, Antoine Goujard and Pierre Guérin from the OECD secretariat under the supervision of Peter Jarrett. Research assistance was provided by Patrizio Sicari and editorial assistance was provided by Sylvie Ricordeau.

The previous Survey of Poland was issued in March 2016.

Information about the latest as well as previous Surveys and more information about how Surveys are prepared is available at www.oecd.org/eco/surveys.

  
BASIC STATISTICS OF POLAND, 2016
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

38.0

Population density per km2

124.0

(37.2)

Under 15 (%)

15.3

(17.9)

Life expectancy (years, 2015)

77.6

(80.5)

Over 65 (%)

16.1

(16.6)

Men

73.5

(77.9)

Foreign-born (%, 2011)

1.8

Women

81.6

(83.1)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

-0.3

(0.6)

Latest general election

October 2015

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%)

In current prices (billion USD)

471.4

Primary sector

2.7

(2.5)

In current prices (billion PLN)

1 858.6

Industry including construction

33.7

(26.7)

Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

2.6

(1.9)

Services

63.6

(70.8)

Per capita (000 USD PPP)

27.1

(42.2)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

41.2

(41.2)

Gross financial debt

71.9

(99.4)

Revenue

38.7

(38.3)

Net financial debt

43.1

(64.6)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate (PLN per USD)

3.943

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

1.788

Machinery and transport equipment

38.2

In per cent of GDP

Manufactured goods

18.5

Exports of goods and services

52.3

(53.6)

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

16.6

Imports of goods and services

48.2

(49.3)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

Current account balance

-0.3

(0.2)

Machinery and transport equipment

36.0

Net international investment position

-57.3

Manufactured goods

17.8

Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

14.7

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

64.5

(66.9)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)

6.2

(6.3)

Men

71.0

(74.7)

Youth (age 15-24, %)

17.6

(13.0)

Women

58.1

(59.3)

Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

2.2

(2.0)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

68.8

(71.7)

Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%)

28.7

(35.7)

Average hours worked per year

1 928

(1 763)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2015)

1.0

(2.4)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2015)

2.5

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2015)

7.4

(9.2)

Renewables (%, 2015)

9.6

(9.6)

Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m3, 2015)

0.3

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2015)

100.0

(75.2)

Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2015)

0.3

(0.5)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2015)a

0.292

(0.311)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate (%, 2015)a

11.1

(11.3)

Reading

506

(493)

Median disposable household income (000 USD PPP, 2015)a

14.7

(22.9)

Mathematics

504

(490)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

Science

501

(493)

Health care

6.4

(9.0)

Share of women in parliament, lower or single house (%)

27.4

(28.7)

Pensions (2012)

10.4

(9.0)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)

0.15

(0.39)

Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2014)

3.4

(3.7)

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

← 1. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

← a. 2014 for the OECD average.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.